ASCE M EMBER R ETENTION & A TTRACTING M EMBERS TO M EETINGS Ashley T. Smith, P.E., M.ASCE September 22, 2014

ASCE Member Retention Vital for maintaining a healthy Section/Branch Try to find ways for a variety of members to become involved, such as sporting events, seminars, younger member events, etc. Leaders usually come from the active members, so the more people that feel involved and active, the more potential people you will have to maintain leadership

Get to know your ASCE resources

ASCE FTP Database Each Section/Branch should have an FTP database account holder The database provides LOTS of information, such as: Member name, number, & contact information, Election date, Birth date, Last dues paid date, Life member (Y/N), Life year, Younger member (Y/N), etc. Become very familiar with the database – it can be your biggest asset!

ASCE FTP Database

Constant Contact Each Section/Branch should have a Constant Contact account holder The website can be accessed from anywhere and can be used to upload contacts, send s and newsletters, create & manage event registrations, & conduct surveys & polls You can also view your open rate and see what links are clicked Become very familiar with Constant Contact – it can be a big timesaver!

Constant Contact

Constant Contact Newsletter Example

New Members Welcome new members with a call, , or introduce them at a meeting When you welcome them, tell them about upcoming events so that they can get plugged in from the beginning and already feel included If you have a regular newsletter, welcome them in that!

Current Members Recognize members’ birthdays and new Engineer Interns & Professional Engineers* *Note: this typically requires that you request the EI and PE pass list from your state’s Engineering Board, and then cross referencing it with your membership database

Current Members Encourage new college graduates to upgrade their membership grade from Student Member to Associate Member Encourage new Professional Engineers to upgrade their membership grade from Associate Member to Member Encourage those who are a PE or PLS and have had Member grade for at least 10 years to apply to become a Fellow

Current Members Recognize membership anniversaries (e.g. 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, etc.)

Recently Lapsed Members Not everyone knows if they are a current member or not, because they are in the database for over a year after their last dues are paid – in hopes that they renew Sort your database by “Last National Dues Year Paid” to see who is current and who has lapsed (Note: Life Members are always considered current, but the database may show differently if they haven’t paid for Civil Engineering magazine) Send an to those in your database whose membership has just expired (after the first of the expired year) to remind them that they need to renew and that they are missing out on ASCE member benefits Send an to those in your database whose membership hasn’t been current for over a year (and will be removed from the database on April 1 st ) Offer a discounted rate at meetings for members, so verify members on the registration list prior to the meeting

Attracting Members to Meetings

Keys to Attracting Members to Meetings Have good communication Have a variety of interesting speakers & topics Have a current website Offer PDH’s when possible Provide good food Charge a reasonable price for attendance (possibly offer discounts for students & government employees)

Keys to Attracting Members to Meetings Recognize Life Members, Scholarship recipients, and award winners (if applicable) at meetings – perhaps an annual dinner Create a mentoring program Visit ASCE student chapters and encourage their involvement with YMG Recruit in your own office (e.g. bring a new employee or your boss)

Summary Get familiar with the ASCE FTP Database & Constant Contact Make your members feel welcome and important Create/maintain good communication Have multiple ways for people to get involved so they continue attending your events (and continue their membership)!

Resources Membership Champions Center ns-Center/ASCE-Champions-Center-Index/ Constant Contact

Q UESTIONS ?

A SHLEY T. S MITH, P.E., M.ASCE P ROJECT M ANAGER /E NGINEER S TANTEC C ONSULTING S ERVICES I NC. 601 G RASSMERE P ARK R OAD, S UITE 22 N ASHVILLE, TN ASHLEY. STANTEC. COM (615) ASHLEY. STANTEC. COM